Mark McGowan

Few things seem capable of evoking such strong emotions in Guyanese as the West Indies cricket team.

By Mark McGowan There is a special place in the rich history of cricket in the Caribbean reserved for the Bourda Cricket Ground, the home of the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC).

Intrigued by the uniqueness of the Caribbean and with thoughts of writing a book at the back of his mind, cricket journalist Rahul Bhattacharya left his home in India in 2007 to come to Guyana to explore life in this part of the world.

Ian McDonald has established himself as one of the leading literary figures in the Caribbean.

What started out as a hobby for Cassia Alphonso has propelled her into the national spotlight as a prize-winning poet.

With two Guyana Prize awards now under his belt, local writer Ruel Johnson is determined to do his best to transform his homeland into a hub for the arts.

Caricom should take the lead in approaching the British government for assistance to address several problems affecting the region as part of reparations for slavery in the Caribbean, Professor Hilary Beckles believes.

APNU member Desmond Trotman will be moving to withdraw his court challenge of the controversial Former President’s (Benefits and Other Facilities) Act so as to pave way for the smooth flow of an APNU motion in parliament to repeal the legislation.

Although accusing APNU and the AFC of “political bullyism” for reducing this year’s budget, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh last night said that government remains open to dialogue with the opposition.

Despite losing almost its entire $81M subvention to opposition cuts yesterday, CEO of the state-owned National Communications Network (NCN) Mohammed ‘Fuzzy’ Sattaur says the company will continue to fulfill its mandate of educating citizens on government’s developmental programme.

While labelling this year’s national budget as one that is “badly out-of-touch” with the needs and conditions of Guyanese, Opposition Leader David Granger yesterday stated that the main opposition APNU will not be supporting it in its present form.

A simple heartfelt letter from a mother to her son who was ill hundreds of miles away seems to have sparked renewed interest in colonial life here in the 18th century. 

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh says the government is in “in completely uncharted territory” after the opposition delayed the approval of supplementary budget allocations over concerns about the legality of some spending.

APNU Leader David Granger has identified the lower than anticipated voter turnout and the PPP/C’s abuse of state resources during the campaign as the main reasons why his party did not secure the presidency at November’s elections.

Although the PPP/C would have seen its votes dip significantly at the November 28 polls, PNCR-member-turned-PPP/C-supporter Joe Hamilton says it is erroneous to claim that the public endorsement of Donald Ramotar’s candidacy by figures previously associated with the opposition did not result in votes for the incumbent party.

With the opposition feeling that there are still too many unanswered questions surrounding the Amaila Falls Hydropower project, the entire project is likely to undergo scrutiny in the National Assembly in the days ahead.

Although the AFC is continuing to lobby for Moses Nagamootoo to be Speaker when the new Parliament is convened, party leader Raphael Trotman yesterday insisted that it will not try to seek support from the PPP/C.

Late Alliance For Change (AFC) Vice-Chairperson Sheila Holder was yesterday remembered by relatives, friends and colleagues as a selfless woman who worked tirelessly as a consumer advocate and politician to ensure better lives for Guyanese.

While describing the hung parliament as presenting a “great opportunity” for Guyana, constitutional expert Haslyn Parris believes that the parties must address long-standing systemic deficiencies in the electoral laws or the country will remain in a quagmire as it relates to proper governance.

Calling for a new dispensation in the way Guyana is governed, former WPA executive member Eusi Kwayana is advocating that there be a revival of community-level governance systems that existed in the immediate post-emancipation era.